World Cup 2018: Former refugees at the world's grandest stage

#1 Valon Berhami

Berhami tries to stop Andres Iniiesta during a friendly against Spain.

Also born in Yugoslavia, Behrami was five years old when his parents both lost their jobs. Ethnic violence started to increase in his native village. The family decided to leave and moved to a village in Switzerland and his uncle and cousin lost their lives in the war back home.

He took to sport to escape the daily struggles. Valon started with athletics, as he was a good sprinter. A friend introduced him to football and he took a liking to the game. The family came close to being deported in 1996, but the support of the local town folks helped overcome that scare.

After spending a few years at local Swiss clubs, Berhami moved to Italy, where he played for the likes of Lazio. He has had stints in England and Germany as well but is back in Italy currently with Udinese.

His love for his native land is still very much intact and he proudly wears a tattoo of the Kosovo flag on his arm. In the 2018 World Cup, he is set to become the first Swiss footballer to represent the country at four different World Cups.